, 1887-07-27
THE KINGS DAUGHTERS"
A sIsTERHooo FOR THE PROMO
TON OF BENEVOLENT WORKS.

Remarkable Growth of the Order-A
Feminine Counterpart of Rev. Edward
Everett HaIe's Lend n Hand" SocIe-
tIes-The Good Work Accomplished.
Ten ladies belonging to New York and
its immediate vicinity met one morning in
January, 1856, at the residence of a
Methodist clergyman, whose wife has long
been conspicuous as n leader and speaker
in meetings of a religious character, and
as connected with evangelistic work. For
several winters this lady, Mrs. Margaret
Bottome, has given what are called ''Bible
Talks in private drawing rooms for the
benefit of society women. These morning
talks" have been 80 popular that she has
been invited to address audiences of the
same character in Washington, Philadel-
phia, Brooklyn, md other cities. With
rare power of observation, a keen intelli-
gence, and thorough earnestness, Mrs.
Bottome has made many friends, and
when the ladies above alluded to gathered
at her residence to perfect certain plans
for benevolent work during the impend-
ing season she suggested that they should
then and there form themselves into n
sisterhood, taking the name 1.-The Kings
Daughters, " from the forty-fifth Psalm,
where the daughters are described as
''au glorious within" This suggestion
found immediate favor. All those pres
ent were familiar with the touching origin
of the Lend a Hand society" which pos
sibly some of our readers are not ac-
.quainted with, and which it may be well
to repeat here as far as necessary.
THE LEND A HAND.r
A few years ago the Rev. Edward f.
Hale, of Boston, went to a suburban town
to attend the funeral services of one of his
parishioners, a dear friend and u man of
noble character. Several members of his
church were with him, and all were de-
tanned by u railway accident at a way sta
ton. Naturally they talked of the de-
ceased, his virtues, his charities and ex-
cellent methods of distributing his wealth
in benevolent work. Mr.. Hale had the
happy thought OF perpetuating the mem
DRY of thier mutual friend by organizing a
society, a brotherhood to carry on his good
works and for the promotion of all kindly
deeds to their fellow men. There were
just ten of them present, including Mr..
Hale, and so he called it the ''Ten So
ciety'' and LEND u Hand" Whatever
they undertook, it should be In His
Name - and their motto should be:
Look up and not down,
Look forward and not back;
Look ont and not in, .
And Lend G Hand.
The ''Ten' could form other Tens"
and so on, for any form of benevolence.
Today it may be mentioned, in passing,
this society or brotherhood extends around
the globe, and publishes a magazine, Lend
a Hand, in its interests, of which DIR. Hale
is the editor. With the knowledge of
these facts, Mrs. Bottome and her friends
formed their sisterhood, taking the same
motto, and for the main taking the same
methods. They added, however, the wear
ing of a badge, a small silver cross of the
Maltese form, signifying perfect love,
tied with a set of purple ribbons, signify
ing royalty. Each of the ten ladies agreed
to take some special mission, and each
formed a ITEM to carry it out. These
Tens multiplied rapidly, and on stated
occasions reported progress to the head
center, Mrs. Bottome. There were formed
comforting Tens to visit hospital pa
tents, to read to them and supply certain
luXuries not allowed by the authorities.
Numbers of these unfortunates have been
given the little cross, and some nave died
after being ennobled with this order.
Other ITEMS" nave gone to the poorest
dying, while some of the sisterhood nave
taken up the wrongs of working girls and
have been kindly interested in shop girls.
Indeed, there is hardly a form of benevo-
lence that has not been adopted by THE
Kings Daughters" Each little coterie
or ''Ten' has its president, its secretary
and treasurer, and all the central presi-
dent, with the original officers as her as
sistants.
A REMARKABLE OWN